The present invention relates generally to packaging materials and, more specifically, to a machine and method for producing packaging cushioning from sheets of a selected substrate, such as paper.
Machines for producing packaging cushioning from paper are well-known in the art. Such machines generally operate by pulling a web of paper from a roll, manipulating the paper web in such a way as to convert the paper into packaging cushioning, and then severing the cushioning into cut sections of a desired length.
While such machines are widely used and have been commercially successful, in many applications, there is a need for improved functionality. For example, paper rolls tend to be quite heavy and cumbersome to lift and load onto cushion conversion machines. Although the volume of cushioning that can be produced from a roll of paper tends to off-set the weight disadvantage for high-volume packaging operations, for lower-volume packaging operations, a lighter, easier-to-handle alternative would be preferred.
Moreover, while severing mechanisms in roll-fed machines provide a workable means for producing cushions of a desired length, such mechanisms present ongoing safety concerns, in both the design and operation of such machines. As such, it would be desirable to be able to produce packaging cushions of a desired length without the need for a severing or perforation mechanism.
While individual sheets of paper can be used to make cushioning, no means is known for connecting the sheets in such a way that packaging cushions having any desired length can be produced.
Finally, in many packaging applications, it is necessary to vary the density of the packaging cushions to suit the weight or nature of the objects being packaged. Currently, this can only be accomplished by adding additional paper rolls or changing rolls to paper of a different weight. In both cases, the machine must be shut down and the new roll(s) must be threaded into the machine. It would be desirable to change the cushion-density without having to make such changes.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a machine and method for producing packaging cushioning that is capable of fulfilling the foregoing performance requirements.